2 pilots killed as army plane crashes in Pakistan

ISLAMABAD - Two pilots were killed when an army trainer plane crashed in Pakistan's eastern Gujranwala district on Tuesday morning, an army statement said.

Inter Services Public Relations, the mouth piece of Pakistan army, said in a statement that the Mushaq Plane with a major and a captain on board was on its routine training flight when it crashed due to some technical fault in Gujranwala, a district in the country's eastern Punjab province.

Local media reported that the plane crashed inside Rahwail Airbase Gujranwala minutes after its takeoff from there.

The plane caught fire following the crash.

Mushaq is a license-built fixed-gear basic trainer aircraft version of the Sweden made Saab Safari planes, used by Pakistan Army and Pakistan Air Force for training, towing and other ground support roles.

The plane is manufactured in Pakistan Aeronautical Complex located in the country's north Kamra district.